BioShock Infinite review: In the sky, Lord, in the sky

Irrational's effort is a masterpiece of interactive world-building and storytelling.

Game Details

Developer: Irrational GamesPublisher: 2K GamesPlatform: PC (reviewed), Xbox 360, PS3Release Date: March 26, 2013Price: $59.99Links:Steam | Amazon | Official websiteSpoilers covering roughly the first third of BioShock Infinite follow. Nothing should be surprising to anyone who has followed the game through trailers and interviews up to this point, but those wishing to experience the beginning of the game completely fresh should consider themselves warned.

The first thing I did after I finished BioShock Infinite was sit in front of the screen for a few minutes thinking about what I had just seen. The second thing I did after I finished BioShock Infinite was play the ending section a second time, to make sure I had understood what I saw the first time (turns out I hadn't). The third thing I did after I beat BioShock Infinite was try to sleep, but I instead spent the next few hours going over the whole game in my head, even though it was after 2:30 in the morning and I was flying out for the start of a PAX East/Game Developers Conference megatrip the next day.

I'm not going to spoil the details of the thought-provoking, time-and-space-bending, utterly satisfying ending of BioShock Infinite here, which means I can't really directly discuss what happens for any of the last third of the 13 or so hours I spent playing the game (this didn't include some of the optional quests and hidden bonuses).

What I will say is that the ending is literally jaw-dropping. I am actually using that term correctly—there were two distinct times that my jaw involuntarily fell open when I realized what was happening in front of me. That might sound a little dramatic (and the late hour that I finished the frantic prerelease playthrough may have contributed to it), but looking back, I think it was the right reaction.

Infinite's ending is a bit more open-ended than the famously mind-blowing ending of the original BioShock. Many of the narrative choices are going to provoke a lot of discussion and theorizing among fans. That's likely by design, and it ends up being much more intriguing than an ending that simply lays out every answer directly.

It's rare to play a game with a narrative that comes together as well as BioShock Infinite's. It's the kind of ending that seems inevitable in retrospect, yet hard to see coming before it is suddenly barreling toward you. Then, when it hits, it makes you look at everything you experienced beforehand a little differently, and it makes you eager to reanalyze what you thought you knew before.

Of course, here I am getting ahead of myself, rambling on about the ending to a game that I haven't even begun to describe yet (which should in itself tell you something about how I regard that conclusion). Put simply, BioShock Infinite is an early contender for game of the year, a masterpiece of design and world-building which shows the care and attention to detail inherent in its nearly five-year development process.

Welcome to Columbia

The most appealing part of BioShock Infinite is simply exploring the floating city of Columbia, a world that comes to life through details both incidental and unavoidable. Originally designed as a part of the World's Columbian Exposition at the end of the 19th century, Columbia went on to travel the country, docking to pick up new pilgrims that were attracted by the city's jingoistic reverence for America's founding fathers and their ideals. Or at least their ideals as interpreted by Samuel Comstock, a wholly American strain of prophet who demands an explicitly religious reverence from Columbia's citizens. When China's Boxer Rebellion took a number of Americans hostage at the turn of the 20th Century, Columbia rejected the more conciliatory position of the US government, raining fire on the Chinese from above and formally seceding from the country it revered over the issue.

This is all background for the entry of protagonist Booker Dewitt, a blank slate coming as a stranger into the fully formed society of Columbia in 1912. With only the vague goal to "Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt," Dewitt ends up on a search for Elizabeth, Comstock's daughter and the "lamb of Columbia" who seems fated to take over for her father. Rescuing Elizabeth begins a companionship between Elizabeth and Dewitt that drags the latter into the mystery of the "tears," holes to other points in time and space that Elizabeth can manipulate somewhat unreliably. As the game goes on, Dewitt gets drawn into the mystery of those tears and into the politics of the Vox Populi, a rebel group looking to rise up against the cruel ruling class.

In prerelease previews of Infinite much has been made of the relationship between Dewitt and Elizabeth, and the way her presence at your side gives you an emotional tie to the world around you. I'll admit that it's easy to grow fond of Elizabeth as the two of you work through the game's mysteries together, especially if you take the time to watch her ever-changing facial expressions and body language during the frequent banter between her and Dewitt. That said, I found the people and places that made up the world of Columbia to be the more compelling part of the game.

The original BioShock was a dead and lonely place, whose story was told primarily through audio logs and bits of ephemera left behind by its once thriving civilization. Infinite also has these bits of recorded history hidden about, and they're a great way to get a feel for characters' motivations and back story in a way that's minimally pedantic or expository. But it's even more satisfying to learn about the world just by observing the scenery and the people going about their everyday lives, all rendered with wonderful art and voice work.

Around one corner, you may find a map showing the former landing schedule for Columbia as it traveled around the country. At a nearby outdoor cafe, a couple talks disdainfully about the Vox Populi as a "foreign sounding" menace, echoing the message of a Vox shooting gallery at a nearby fair. Down the street from them, past the giant, reverent statue of Comstock, a barbershop quartet sings a beautifully old-fashioned yet seemingly out-of-place version of "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys. Down an alley from them, in front of faded propaganda posters, schoolchildren play and sing a schoolyard rhyme about falling from Columbia's heights to the ground below.

Well now I can't wait. I'm preloaded on Steam and ready to unlock, but won't get to play it until tomorrow.

I recently went back to the original Bioshock and remembered the combat not being the greatest. But exploring what happened to Rapture and the schism between Ryan and his rivals made it all worth it. I'm glad to see they went heavy on the narrative for this game too.

As the game went on, though, I began to see this aspect of Columbia as more of an unflinchingly frank look at an ugly strain that was still present during the game's time period.

I think more games/movies should heed this. We have the tendency to color historic settings with our current moral values assuming that every decent person ever needs to share the same sets of believes.

Which of course is wrong. Dschenghis Khans warriors were by all accounts people who killed tens of millions of Chinese peasants as completely worthless which instantly makes them into the worst kinds of monsters possible. On the other hand by many accounts Mongolian knights were some of the most honorable, brave persons who would let their lives for friends, and would spare valiant enemy warriors if they fought bravely. They would be truthful to allies, and hold their given words but would at the same time without flinching an eye exterminate a city or country if it would break its side of the bargain.,

The main difference being that in that system of belief only valor, honour and the ability to fight made you a valuable person. Peasants and others were not worthwhile.

Now from our perspective that is pretty disgusting but those were different times. And sometimes I think it would be nice to at least provide that viewpoint faithfully and let the player/viewer sort out the moral issues instead of making every middle-ages movie into an anti-war poem. Which is pretty ridiculous since most knights of these times did live for war and were by most accounts pretty gung ho about it. Similar to Germanic warriors who didn't mind so much dying in a Roman arena with a sword in their hand. On the other hand they would have been far less amused with being subjugated to forced labor. Tempora Mutantur.

Less than 12 hours before unlock. I am almost vibrating with excitement.

It's great to hear that the twist is incredibly satisfying. I wasn't sure that BioShock lightning could strike again, and yet it appears from reviews to be even more powerful than the twist from the original.

"One of the best stories" in the gaming history? I am somewhat skeptical about this statement, esp. considering that the last Bioshock titles did not have an exceptional story - but an fantastic setting and atmosphere which made more than up for it.

Wow, this review really impressed me. I had no plans to tinker with this game but now it looks like I must reexamine my decision. I'm a sucker for a deep history and exploration side to any game and this sounds incredible. Thanks Kyle!

Is the end of Bioshock actually good enough to warrant going to the trouble of getting there? After many hours I eventually gave up on it. I was sick of shooting Splicers, and found that I tended to just avoid Big Daddy/Little Sister pairs. I loved the setting, and the story was kind of interesting for a while, but I had reached the point where I just didn't care. (Sort of the opposite of AC2 where I enjoyed the game and story all the way through then when I got to the end I was like "Huh? I did all of that for this?)

Does this game have you cutting up little girls for spare parts like the previous BioShock?

Ah, that was a subtle element of player agency. The trick was to figure out which of the little snots really had it coming, and only harvest them. Shades of grey.

Dr Tenenbaum: Yeah, that little girl was nothing but trouble for me too. As much as I am devoted to the essential value and dignity of all human life, that little bitch totally deserved to be harvested. Here, have some money and a cool new plasmid.

I revisited BioShock in anticipation of BioShock Infinite. The story had that feel of an alternate dimension that so few modern games seem to be able to foster and carry through to the end. From the plane crash at the beginning, I was hooked!

I am impressed that this sounds like another home run from their creative team. Thank you for an excellent review without letting anything out....

I have the game preloaded and my wife works late all week long..... (Rubbing my hands together gleefully...)

"Part of me thinks the game may have worked even better simply as a first-person exploration of this fleshed out and wholly unique culture, without the requisite shooting action."

I'd love playing a game like that. I think that many others would, too. But you can just hear the executives, "We need more shooting, because shooting sells." I think that's unfortunate. Here's a youtube video that explains it better than I can.

Speaking of choices made to appeal to the mass market, I have to thank you for convincing my girlfriend to buy the game with this review. She was initially worried that Elizabeth's giant cleavage would turn her off from the story, but you made the game sound so damn good she went ahead and ordered it anyway. Since I'll also get to play it... thanks!!

Despite the game potentially being enjoyable, it's really disappointing to see the industry continue down this road. It's no secret that video game publishers and developers have long wished they were in the movie business instead but now we're seeing what are basically interactive movies being embraced by the consumer and even critically acclaimed (this game, Uncharted, Tomb Raider, etc).

Infinite is basically an interactive movie where you move through an environment almost uninhibited. Where will we be in 5 years? How much interactivity can be removed from a video game before even the core consumer starts to care?

Infinite's ending is a bit more open-ended than the famously mind-blowing ending of the original BioShock.

Well, I'm glad that you put the Bioshock ending in as a frame of reference, because I didn't find those endings to be at all "mind-blowing". If anything, that final boss just left a bad taste in the mouth. How does the final boss fight in Infinite compare? Does it have a final boss fight?

I'm going to wait on this game till I hear from people who thought Bioshock was disappointing.

Infinite's ending is a bit more open-ended than the famously mind-blowing ending of the original BioShock.

Well, I'm glad that you put the Bioshock ending in as a frame of reference, because I didn't find those endings to be at all "mind-blowing". If anything, that final boss just left a bad taste in the mouth. How does the final boss fight in Infinite compare? Does it have a final boss fight?

I'm going to wait on this game till I hear from people who thought Bioshock was disappointing.

Depends on what you call the ending.

In my mind it ended right after learning that a man chooses, a slave obeys.

The bit after that?...I don't know what you are referring to good sir.

Kyle Orland / Kyle is the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica, specializing in video game hardware and software. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He is based in Pittsburgh, PA.